Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-07-14
COlLEGE-BRED WOMEN.
Some of the New Occupations Proposed
for Educated Young Ladies.

Some of the New Occupations Proposed
for Educated Young Ladies.
The growing demand of the time
for women, and especially these edu-
Gated by colleges, to be actively use
full, led to an interesting discussion
at Vassar College recently, upon THE
Occupations of the Women College
Graduates" The president, faculty
and senior class of the college, many
of the trustees, and about thirty
alumna of Vassar and other colleges.
met in one of the college halls, which
was decorated with vases of ferns and
yellow lilies, to consider what had
been done by educated women in
America and to propose new paths OF
work and usefulness. After paper
which presented view of the past and
present, discussion limited by time
and not by lack of enthusiasm. followed.
The doubt of the time, whether the col
lege should be analytical or syntheti-
cal, whether education should be utili-
tartan or devoted to the development
of mind and character without aiming
to prepare for especial work,
characterized the discussion. Some
speakers did not believe that the col
lege should encourage women to be
physicians or teachers, or any other
professional workers; others thought
it was the duty of college to suggest
occupations for graduates; few
thought that educated women fulfilled
their duty to the world by remaining
at home and quietly disseminating
culture by personal influence; others
advocated active work with men in the
professional fields
Among the new occupations pro-
posed for women was the collection
and collating of statistics. The Amer
lean eagerness for statistics is well
known, and their increasing use as a
basis for all discussions in political
economy requires large statistical
bureaus and many workers Mechan-
zeal or routine work is now performed
by women in many statistical depart
ments, but there are higher services
in this work, the experimenting of the
collection and the drawing conclusions
from statistics. A thorough training
and deep wisdom are required for
making the best use of statistics. A
woman who possesses these qualifica-
tons might find open a prosperous
career
Another occupation for educated
women is the management of tene-
ment houses. Since tenement-house
reform has become fact in large cit
les, it is necessary that a capable agent
should be secured by the owners of
many tenements to carry out the de-
tails of the work. Mrs. Octavia V.
Hill, in England, Mrs. Lincoln and
others of this country, have shown that
women are admirable workers in this
field. Their ability in matters pos
sessing many details finds expression
in overseeing the sanitary features of
buildings, in requiring tenants to OBJ
serve rules of cleanliness and order of
their rooms, and in many other little
things noticed by woman's eye.
Tenement-house agency may be turned
by women into genuine me ans of inn
provement of the tenants Their per-
sonal welfare in regard to temperance
and sobriety may be increased by
woman of benevolent and decisive
character.
Dairy farming, stenography. SANTA
ry science and gardening, !were other
occupations suggested. and it was
strongly urged that the educated
women should accept position upon
school boards whenever offered.
Chicago Times.